Here’s a how to piece on a simple fly that outperforms almost everything else where I fish. Throw on a Marabou tail and boom, another killer pattern, though geared more towards catfish and bass. Do a hackle with that and get a hook point up wooly bugger! Really though, I’ve barely tied on anything else the last month. Did I mention how simple it is? You don’t need anything special just some black dubbing, eye’s, turkey feather in black or similar, and a hook. Mix your own dubbing and you’ll have endless fun with this pattern… The flies below are all on size 4, which is good for bigger fish during the berry drop, maybe year round? Its a step up in size for me, but just barely. Deadly effective, no matter what you fish for. Have fun with it! Change the colors up and do whatever, but black and brown are my favorites.

Come mid May and early June its all about getting on the backwaters and creeks of the lower Missouri River, or perhaps any lake or waterway. Once there, you need to hunt down surface activity along the banks and under the tress. If your lucky you will see and hear berries dropping in the water. If all else fails cast towards overhanging tree’s, shady areas, root wads and cutbanks, the closer the better usually…putting all 3 or 4 components together will yield your best opportunities. I like to use a small black fly…. like this.

Black Ops on size 4 Gamakatsu sl45

I’d say I catch 5x more fish with a sinking fly than a floating…. i don’t even mess with the floating flies anymore period.

Fish hit anywhere from immediately to 7 strips in, but most fish will hit on splashdown or the first strip while the remainder hit within 3 or 4 strips. Larger flies and fishing deeper starts to put you into exclusive catfish territory…so i always throw a Black Ops… it takes all the fish species and its the best thing i got going period, hands down for mulberry season.Is it a bait-fish? a leech, a nymph, or a mulberry? thats why this fly rocks… its whatever the fish wants and hopes it to be… and its no brain surgery to tie either.